For A Moment of Hesitation
by Giovanna Giorno
Summary: A moment of hesitation could be all it needed to change the flow of fate. What if Darkness is the one who confessed her feeling first to Kazuma? (A Kazuma x Darkness story)
1. Chapter 1 - Kazuma

**KAZUMA - 1**

Slipping under the sheets, I closed my eyes and embrace the alcohol fueled good night's sleep when someone is at my door. And for a time, everything seems peaceful as I journeyed into deep slumber. I feel as if I am dreaming about something, about a cliche story when a moment of hesitation somehow changed the entire outcome of fate, as if something has been changed in the flow of the time and fate... But suddenly a voice coming from outside wake me up from my sweet sweet dream.

"Kazuma, are you awake? If you are, may I interrupt for a second?" Megumin's voice came from the door.

"What now? If not because you disturb my sleep at the first place, I should already be asleep!" I shouted in irritation.

"No... It took massive effort for me to visit! Don't be so quick to fall asleep!" Megumin opened the door and entered as she complained.

I didn't sit up from the bed, but only poked my head out of my blanket instead.

"What are you doing here this late in the night? Komekko rarely stays over, are you sure you don't want to accompany her? Although I have not a clue when your parents will come pick her up, she can't stay here forever, can she?" I speak as even I personally see no problem in letting her live here.

Not that I want to make moves on a loli, considering Megumin is borderline one. The later who stand in front of me is legally not a loli anymore though, so...

Megumin started to giggle quietly. "No, umm... Actually Yunyun came to me just a while ago..."

"..." Alright, so this is something about her friend? It has indeed been a few days since we last saw her, maybe something happened? "What happened? Did she come to play with Komekko?"

"Nope, she was here to pass a message that the Demon Army occupying the village has been successfully repelled."

"Isn't that good news? Although that would also mean..."

"T... that's right, my mother will be picking Komekko tomorrow." Megumin showed a lonely smile.

"All the reasons why you should be with her tonight. Why are you here at the first place? If that's all..."

"Wait... Kazuma..." said Megumin while looking down at her own feet.

"I want to sleep dammit. Go to your sister, she needs you."

"It's... its fine... She's a tough child... I'm afraid I'm the one who gets hurt more if I stayed with her any longer."

Speaking of which, this girl really is a bit of sistercon, why would stay with her sister hurt her?

"Kazuma, thanks for all your help these past few days, I'm extremely grateful." said Megumin while she lowered her head.

"Don't be such a stranger... It makes me happy knowing that everything is ok at the end... My head is killing me Megumin, I need that sleep..." I said while pulling my blanket up to my head.

"Ka... wait, Kazuma..." said Megumin shakily. Oh joy, she didn't even leave when I gave her sign to leave my room, what will happen now?

"I want to sleep dammit! If you want to say something, say it tomorrow!" I close my eyes and willed myself to sleep even harder.

"By the way, do you still remember...?"

"SHUT UP!"

"I... I'm so sorry Kazuma..." said Megumin weakly while she closes my door. Oh well, finally.

...

Going forward two days afterward, when I found myself literally chained to a certain noble lady who insisted that I should pay my taxes.

"Well, we're going to bed now. Are you sure you don't want to join us, Aqua? Megumin?"

"The two of you can sleep alone tonight. Judging from how you were acting a while ago, it doesn't seem like any kind of accidents will occur. Actually it would be better if you two had accidents so you both will act more like adults!" said Megumin with a disapproving expression.

"Anyway make sure if you do have accident, don't to that too noisily." said Aqua with a smirk on her face.

Looking at Darkness next to me, it seems like I wasn't the only one who was thinking too much. From the way she was blushing, Darkness is probably imagining some kind of kinky, nasty scenario again. I interrupted her thoughts by giving the handcuff a sharp tug and rushed off towards my bedroom.

By the way, because of how the handcuff around my left wrist was positioned, I couldn't put on a shirt, so I'm currently half-naked with only the lower half of my tracksuit as my cover. It is warm in the mansion, so I shouldn't have to worry about catching a cold if I wrap myself up properly.

Naturally, because my left hand is cuffed to Darkness' right, I have to take the right half of the bed.

As soon as we arrived, I collapsed onto the bed as soon as possible.

"Don't you dare to make any moves on me just because you can see my bare sexy chest."

"As if I would! You're the king of sexual harassment! I should be the one worrying about you try to rub yourself all over me!"

"Good night!" I turned my back on Darkness.

"Hey! What? Are you just really gonna go to sleep like that? Y... You're really sleeping?" hearing those words from Darkness, I pulled the blanket over my head.

...

How long I been asleep for? O seemed to have turned over sometime in my sleep, so now I'm face to face with Darkness. The moment I opened my eyes, Darkness' stern, sleeping face filled my vision, my forehead was pressed against hers as her face was literally inches before my eyes.

Actually...

"What were you trying to do?" I casually asked Darkness who had pushed herself so close to me. Darkness' body twitched after hearing my words, but her eyes remained closed.

"Zzzzzzzz zzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzz"

"Stop that obviously fake snoring will you?" as I spoke, I felt something off about my neck; I touched it with my right hand. For some reason, it's damp, which means...

"You! You licked my neck? You licked my neck and did things to my body while I was asleep doing you?"

"No no... You're wrong! I didn't go that far! Really, I didn't! It's not really like that!" Darkness jumped up, her face instantly blushing as tears started to form in her eyes. Still rubbing my damp neck, I said.

"I'm not against that, if you want to do something just does it, it was a fresh feeling being sexually harassed instead of the one doing that, if you want to continue, you may have." I said in smug tone looking at Darkness' confused, crying face.

"No... I... You're wrong dammit!"

"What do you mean 'you're wrong'? Won't you explain how my neck got wet then? I know that your hormones are raging, considering what Vanir said about you, but never thought that you would try..."

"Aaaah! No!"

"Why you try something like this on my defenseless body while I slept?"

Darkness furiously signaled for me to keep quiet by pressing her finger against her lips.

"I really didn't do anything! I woke up to find my face buried in your neck! That's my droll which inadvertently dripped onto it! I thought I should wipe it off, but when I see you chained to me with such defenseless sleeping face, I... I can't... A strong wave of shame and guilt washed over me then I got increasingly aroused..."

So she was indeed about to do things to me. I sat up and checked my body.

"Oh well, my belt is still here, you really didn't do anything?"

"W... Why do you sound you're disappointed?" said Darkness with her skin reddened and her breaths were shallow.

"I knew you were a huge pervert with extremely erotic body, but I didn't expect you to actually try something at my defenseless self at night. You were also planning to going all the way with me back when you tried to drug me didn't you? Maybe I should really start calling you Sluttiness."

"D... don't do that! U... uuuuuu... My heart started racing after being scolded and called pervert and slut by you! Am I really hopeless?"

"You're worrying about that now? You've been hopeless since the day we met!" I tidied up the messy blanket and carefully lay back down. Though she still seemed to be embarrassed, Darkness followed suit.

"Thinking back, when I first met you, I didn't think I'd ever be in a position to chat about such crude topics to you. I was a woman of fewer words back then, even worse at socializing than I am currently. Furthermore, I was also more actively trying to keep my distance from you..." said Darkness in this silent and dimly lit rom.

"Well, you are a lady, you were most likely forbidden from getting close to anyone. My first impression of you was sterner and quiet, someone who would never lecture me, and of course would never fight with me. Even though you were lewd and had some strange attributes, the past you still come across as being more mature." I said while Darkness giggled at me.

"My first impression was that you are a little dishonest, yet diligent, someone who stays away from shady business, a reliable, determined, and gentle person." said Darkness as she turned on the bed and talked to my cheek.

"Eh?"

"You were lecherous and not even giving a fuck about us girls back then."

"For some reason, I feel like you're making it sound as I'm actually a brute of a man who's no longer diligent, determined, or reliable... and would be involved in shady business."

"That's exactly what I meant!" Darkness laughed. "Say Kazuma..."

Darkness looked at me while speaking in the tone she would use when trading small talk with someone. I turned my head towards her.

"Do you like Megumin?"

"... Why are you asking that?" I wondered it must have been cloudy outside as there are very little light made it through the windows. I couldn't make out Darkness' expression here.

"S... sorry, did I ask something strange?" Darkness' face reddened again.

"Well then? There's no way I can hate her, so yeah, I do like her. Of course, I like Aqua and you too." when I finished, the mood took an abrupt dip.

"You're saying... that you like me... not as a lover, but as a friend... right?" said Darkness with her voice tinged with loneliness.

Eh what's going on? I have a feeling about where this is going, a bit little cliché-y for my taste, but still. Wait a moment... I never face these kinds of Chad-like situations before. Shit.

I didn't really know how to answer her question.

Darkness gently tugged on the cuffs on her right wrist, it was only a quick, light tug."

"Say... you like Megumin... romantically, right?" as she spoke, Darkness held my left hand with both of hers. I took the soft and warm sensation of her touch.

"Why are you asking me like that? The obvious answer is... no... She doesn't seem to like me that way anyway?" I said in casual tone while Darkness' face visibly brightened.

"Really? What... what about Aqua? Are you like her ro...?"

"Stop beating around the bush and just confess dammit!" I lost my patience to Darkness' stuttering's, and at my sudden outburst, her face seems to as if she wants to cry again.

"Everything is pretty great as it is..." Darkness said that while looking ashamed on her own actions. "Everything... I spit out something stupid and you then come to lecture me."

Darkness started to cry while she faces me with her red face. I simply sit up again and tried to say something to make her stop, because knowing my luck, either Aqua or Megumin will barge on this importunate moment and conclude the worst.

"Hey, stop crying! Calm down! I don't want Aqua or Megumin to think I actually was the one who does something to you dammit!"

"But everything would be different! There'd be no way things will remain like this... Why can't we just stay like this? Forever like this? To pay back the debt, you use everything you have up your sleeves to raise money... and encounter some powerful enemies in the process. With everyone barely walking out alive in the end... why can't we just keep things as they are?"

"What are you...?"

"Can... can... can I be your lover? I can go along with anything you wish, no matter what it is, I'll endure it..."

Oh shit, she dropped the bomb upon me, the first ever confession done. My head is literally blown as I stuttered to say something that should not plunge the mood. I noticed that Darkness' shoulder trembled as she looked toward my eyes.

I sighed and think deep in my mind, well Kazuma, maybe this is your only chance, you know you think Megumin may be into something with you, but so far, she has done nothing but teasing you. Considering her chuuni self, maybe she was not even aware of what she does.

I look toward Darkness, and deep inside, I realize that maybe this time I should gave her a chance, for that would also mean giving myself a chance.

"That would be awkward, I know... but I don't mind if you wish..." I stuttered while trying to make sense what the hell just happened in my mind.

"Really?" said Darkness with a wide smile on her face. "You... you don't mind having my clumsy, masochistic, lecherous, lewd self as a lover?"

I looked at her and think a way to answer this in a way, well, I don't really mind her, and if she turned out to be the one who loved me in the end. I don't...

"You're a noble, Lalatina Ojou-sama, and you know I am a lecherous trash myself. My humble adventurer self should not stain you with..." I tried to finish my words but I suddenly found Darkness' lips meeting mine. Well, her lips are warm, and most importantly I don't mind it.

"The hell with my status as noble! If that's why you don't really make a move upon me, I would gladly cast down..."

"Please not casting down your status as noble, it has saved our ass more than anything else."

"I... I love you... Kazuma..." said Darkness with tears of joy in her eyes.

"I... I love you too... b... but... isn't this is too fast for... wait Darkness what are you..." I said in panic as Darkness started to creep her way towards me. "I... I don't mind that, but I don't want our first time to be chained together like this... I... I..."

"You do not want me?" said Darkness with her face looking as she wanted to cry again.

"Not that fast! I meant... Well, this means we're lover right? But I wanted to take it slow and romantic instead of being... like... Aaargh! Can't you just wait for this handcuff to get off first? I'm denying you the pleasure to get my hot body as long as this handcuff gets in the way!"

Darkness giggled. "I see then... but what about."

I leaned unto her and kissed her forehead to calm her down. Darkness looked up to me but then I plunged myself onto the bed again.

"This should be enough for today, I don't want Aqua and Megumin to found us rutting to each other while we're chained. If anything, we're going to do it the classy way. I don't wish to have my head mounted on a pike because I deflowered a noble girl before our wedding."

"..." Darkness only slapped my head playfully while giggling to herself.

"If you really can't hold it, I will wake Aqua up and force her to perform the marriage ceremony right here, right now, shall we do it?"

"Maybe... so..."

"AQU..." I tried to shout but Darkness close my mouth with her free hand.

"I think I can wait until tomorrow, Kazuma..." said her with a serene smile upon her face.

"Well then, good night..."

Darkness pecked my cheek once again, but she didn't follow up with anything.

"But... really, I thought you are..."

"No funny business tonight, I don't want to get my cuffed hand ripped off because you pull too hard, too fast with all your strength!"

Darkness giggled again upon hearing my statement.

"I don't mind you as long as I could call you Lalatina."

"I don't mind as long as only you call me that."

"Eh? Really?"

"Really."

"Lalatina."

"As long as it's only you, it's fine..."

"Well then, tomorrow we will have an announcement to Aqua and Megumin." I said with a smile on my face.

"Good night, my love..."

"Good night... Lalatina"

I damn hope I made the right choice this night...


	2. Chapter 2 - Kazuma

**KAZUMA - 2**

"WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING HERE!?"

I groggily opened my eyes, the room is still mostly dark, and the time is still in the middle of the night.

What I realized immediately is how my head is resting upon Darkness' ample bosoms, and how her left hand and foot wrapped around my body. She just starts to open her eyes as I raised my head toward the source of the scream.

"Megumin? Aqua?" I said groggily.

Standing in front of the door were a very furious looking Megumin and a very tired Aqua, but as Aqua seen us she immediately grinned mischievously.

"Ah, we just left you two for a while and already an accident?"

I looked toward Darkness, which still has her own shirt, albeit already three-quarter opened, almost showing the bouncy goods underneath while I am still bare chested as expected. Everything below the belt is still secured, even if they're hidden under blanket.

"YOU BRUTE TRASH OF A MAN! WHAT DID YOU JUST DO TO DARKNESS!" shouted Megumin, but Darkness just exchanged look with me as if nothing is wrong. Oh well, technically something is wrong, but since she confessed.

"Oh, we had accident, that's all." said Darkness in neutral tone toward Megumin and Aqua.

"A... ACCIDENT?" said Megumin in horrified face. "What did this trash has done to you?"

"Oi Aqua, you are an Arch-Priest, can you officiate our marriage?" maybe we'll just need to tell them the truth, and they won't bother with us anymore?

"How dare you to say that Kazuma? Aqua is an Axis Priest while I am devotee of Eris! We'll get our marriage officiated by The Church of Eris!" said Darkness while slapping the upper part of my head.

"But we're caught at the middle, can't we just get blessing from Aqua, so we can continue what we do afterward? We'll go to Eris Church to get proper blessing the next day."

"Alright my love, make sense to..." said Darkness.

"WHAT IS THIS NEW DEVILRY? DARKNESS WHY ARE YOU... YOU..."

"Well, we just decided to not lie about our feelings to each other." I tried to stay cool while saying this to Megumin's angry face.

"Oh, we just declare our love toward each other, that's all, we both are adults, no need to get too excited, just cover your ears." said Darkness in mischievous tone.

Aqua is looking very tired and drowsy, but even she managed to sport a sly grin upon Darkness' declaration while for somewhat reasons, patting Megumin's back with pitiful stare on her eyes.

"Yare yare dawa... it seems that the two become lovebirds when we're not looking at them. Can't be helped, here, let me give you two blessing so..."

Megumin threw something toward us before stomping out of the door. I reflexively catch it and found it to be the set of keys that Darkness lost.

"How did you get...?" I asked Aqua who just shrug her shoulder.

"Megumin woke me up and made me search for the keys. She's apparently concerned about something you know, while you two are enjoying yourselves." said Aqua while looking back toward us. "And as you want me to officiate your marriage, I infer an accident already happened right?"

"Uh, not yet?" said Darkness with a grin upon her face while I unlocked the handcuffs with a click.

"I am really sleepy though, Axis order does not frown on pre-marital fun stuffs as long as both party consented, and so can I go to bed now? You two can enjoy yourselves." said Aqua with a tired smile softly closing the door.

...

"What should we do now?" said Darkness with as sly grin upon her face as she moves herself on top of me.

"Umm, Darkness, I would bet that Aqua is currently crouching in front of the door, peeping through the keyhole."

"~Ahh~... having peeped by a lewd Arch-Priest at our ~first night~" moaned Darkness while she did not even flinch from her attempt to.

"Wait a minute Lalatina, maybe you won't mind if someone is peeping you, but I on the other hand..."

"Shush my love..." said Darkness while pecking my cheek. It only adds the..."

*CRACK* *BLAM*

The door flung open with a crack to reveal Aqua was indeed peeping upon us, and the one who kicked open the door turned to be Megumin.

"Oi if you're jealous, you could just ask to join." I said with a sly smile while Darkness hugged my head seductively.

"Darkness blacker than black and darker than dark..." Megumin started her explosion chant and everyone immediately flew toward her, closing her mouth.

"What are you thinking you are doing?" I said in irritation while closing her mouth as the chuuni Arch-Wizard struggled to get out from our collective grab.

"You made me miss the good part!" whined Aqua while holding Megumin's hand to avoid her forming the magical focus needed for the Explosion.

"What is wrong with you?" said Darkness while literally holding Megumin's feet to stop her from squirming.

"Mmmmmppphhhh! mmmppphh!" mumbled Megumin as she did not stop her squirming before she bite into my hand.

"You bastard!" I said while nursing the painful bite mark upon my hand, it was deep and blood already coming out from the teeth marks.

"Darkness! I never thought you would tell him that! We agree to not..." cried Megumin while I stood in shocked position.

What just happened here? Why did Megumin knew Darkness' intent all along? And why Darkness just stood sheepishly under the chuuni's angry glare?

"Er... um... Megumin... sorry..." mumbled Darkness.

"You promised me to not..." said Megumin while Darkness quickly close her mouth with her hand, she did not budge at all when Megumin bite upon her hand, unlike me.

"Ano... Kazuma... I think we need to postpone our love for later... It seems that I do need to talk some sense to her first." said Darkness while she slung Megumin on top of her shoulder and moving out from the door, leaving me and Aqua confused.

"What just happened? Aqua, you know anything about that aren't you?" I asked Aqua who just looked as confused as me.

"I know... nothing..." said Aqua before stand up and walk toward her own room.

Why did I seem a bit disappointed upon this development though, and most importantly, how to quell down this...? I looked down toward a certain part of myself and sighed.

Well, it seems I need to spent a significant time in the bathroom again afterwards, damn Megumin for denying me this.


End file.
